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Good reporting sheds light on fracking

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Sunday March 17, 2013 6:44 AM

As Ohio creates more and more jobs related to hydraulic fracturing, the obvious question arises:
Is fracking safe? The number of active wells in Ohio soon will be in the hundreds.

A 2012 study by the Chemical Safety Board came to the conclusion that since 1983, dozens of
people have died at or near oil-and-gas wells. The 2010 BP oil explosion alone killed 11 workers.
Modern fracking sites tend to have better safety and security features, but even now it is not
uncommon for occupational accidents to occur.

As reported by the Associated Press, on Feb. 25, a worker died in a drilling accident in Carroll
County near Carrollton, southeast of Canton. In the same accident, a second man suffered a severe
laceration to the back of his head, as reported by National Public Radio. There is a robust debate
going on at the moment focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of fracking and
fracking-related questions. I expect an independent newspaper such as
The Dispatch to objectively present both sides of the debate. There is no question that
the many short-term benefits of fracking deserve to be discussed. However, the full, true and
long-term legacy costs of fracking deserve to be given equal attention, including the potential
harm to humans, wildlife, the water supply and the environment.

Fair and balanced, honest and accurate reporting is needed because the industry cannot be
expected to voluntarily disclose reliable statistics on accident and death rates.

The Dispatch has done an impressive job reporting about the scrubbing of data in Ohio
schools. The manipulation of data, however, is not limited to school boards. It is a systemic,
ubiquitous and perennial problem that extends into all parts of society. Independent and
investigative journalism is needed more than ever to help citizens make informed decisions.